Employers in the U.S. have already filed more visa applications for H-2B foreign guest workers to begin work this spring and summer than are available for the entire fiscal year, according to the Department of Labor (DOL). On January 1—the first day seasonal businesses could file for the visas—employers sent the DOL about 4,500 applications covering 81,600 jobs for work that begins between April and October, far exceeding the 33,000 H-2B visas available during that time.
The H-2B visa program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary, low-skilled nonagricultural jobs, primarily in landscaping, forestry, hospitality and recreation.
The cap has been met quickly in previous years, but the number of applications filed on the first day is "absolutely unprecedented," said Kevin Lashus, a partner in the office of law firm Fisher Broyles. "The demand will far, far exceed the cap."
Congress has set the H-2B visa cap at 66,000 per fiscal year, with 33,000 visas granted for workers who begin employment in the first half of the 12-month period (October 1 through March 31) and 33,000 visas for workers who begin employment in the second half (April 1 through September 30).
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